Candidate Schroeder,
Wisconsin was founded on principles of checks and balances, where the people of the state would ultimately have the say in how our government is run and by whom. Here, in 2014, we find ourselves in an interesting situation. We can proceed down the progressive route and change the notion of our executive branch, consolidating all of the powers inherent in that branch to unelected, unaccountable boards with the oversight being that of gubernatorial cabinet appointees or we can preserve what the founders of the state intended.
With all due respect to a candidate that is willing to put his name on the ballot I ask you the following question: why are you running to be Secretary of State?
You have continued to make the argument that this office should be eliminated and your bold plan is to collect 73% of the salary while the legislature works to amend the constitution and eliminate the office.
Why then run? What benefit is there to a Republican holding the office if your sole purpose is to abdicate it? Could we not do this with the current occupant? Well I guess if you were to get elected to this role we, the taxpayers, would see a savings of about $0.009 apiece while you sit there waiting for it to be eliminated.
I reiterate what I said in a press release the other day: you are offering the voters nothing but a political gimmick compared to what we already have in Doug La Follette.
Here is my plan and it is a bold plan that would move Wisconsin forward.
I’m running for Secretary of State to bring us out of the progressive mentality of the 1970s and into an era of accountable government.
When elected I intend to begin with opening talks with the Governor and the leaders of the legislature on the process of returning role of Chief Elections Officer to the Secretary of State by rolling the Government Accountability Board (GAB) under the office. The voters of Wisconsin need to be able to hold a person responsible for decisions the board makes and the elections – currently the voters do not have a say related to the GAB.
The next item on my agenda is the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) which should also report to the Secretary and not be a board with a cabinet member to the Governor. Here is why: would you really vote against the governor for a misplaced UCC filing? It’s not a primary role for the Governor so why would you? But if it were part of the Secretary of State it would be a primary role and the voters would hold that person responsible.
Sitting on one’s hands waiting to act is not a bold plan. If you truly wanted to eliminate the office then you would be running for the legislature – the branch of government that actually has the power to make that change. Barring that, consider stepping aside and allow a conservative win this seat for the voters of Wisconsin so that real reform can take place.
Bill Folk
Republican Candidate for Secretary of State